The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-06-15
RAILROAD RUMBLEs.
The sisuation More Favorable To-day
The Ties and Supplies Coming.-The
Manitoba Will be Here on Time,
According to Shepard
THE SITUATION.


will pass through this city, and that the
permanent one will nobody questions for
a moment. Engineer Barclay received
his instructions Thursday which we learn
are in general terms, directing him 10 run
new lines in this vicinity to ascertain the
easiest and quickest grade for the tempo
rary line, the grade for this being one
tenth. or maximum of 81 feet TO the
mile To-day, if the storm did not inter-
fere, he has been running new line on
the last route surveyed by Griffith-fhe
most favorable for the town and there is
good reason to hope that it will be as easy
and qaick as the Teton route, in which
event it will of course be adopted. 1t is
safe to say also that it will be adopted if it
comes reasonably near being as easy and
quick. A day or two's work by the engi-
neers will determine the matter.
THE GENIUS OF ORGANIZATIONS.
Referring in lengthy article to the
work being done on the Montana extern
sion of the Manitoba, the Pioneer Press
says: 1t is difficult for any one not IA
miliar with railroad building on large
scale through an unfnhabited country to
appreciate the genius or organization and
method required to accomplish each por-
ton of the work in time to fit in exactly
with what precedes or follows, so that the
tracklayers shall not wait for grade or
bridges: and to this end to move forward
the men, material and supplies employed
in these vast and complicated operations,
SO that everything needed shall be IN the
proper place at the proper time and IN e1-
actly adequate quantities. 10 Superln-
tendent Egan, of the Manitoba, belongs
the important function Of moving the con-
struetion material and supplies to the end
of the track. The magnitude of his work
will be indicated by the fact that this year
he has forwarded over 10000 car loads to
Minot, and that last Monday, after having
drawn upon Minot for the material neces-
sary to construct 120 miles Of railroad,
there remained in store at that point ~,
294 tons, or 321 miles of steel rails, and
433 900 ties, equal to Ia miles, with cor
responding quantities Of angle bars,
spikes, bolts, frogs, switch stands and
chains, and large quantities of bridge
timber, contractors supplies, piling, tele-
graph poles, wire, etc., for the Western
Union telegraph is building its line as
fast as the track is laid. Egan keeps the
cars constantly moving to the front with
material. About thirty cars of steel rails
and twenty-five Of ties are always on
hand at the end of the track, Or on their
way there from Minot, and the whole
SYSTEM is managed with such clock-worh
regularity and precision that he is always
ahead Of the contractors needs, and no
an instant's delay has been caused by any
failure in the operating department.
SHEPARD EXPECTS TO GET THERE.
The commanding general Of this army
of men and mules-D. G. Shepard, who
from his headquarters in St. Paul, direct:
all these complex and enormous opera.
tions-prposes to have the roadbed com
pleted to Great Falls by September Est
and as his advance guard of graders il
already at work 300 miles beyond Ninot
there seems no reason to distrust his con.
fident assurance: 9We will get there, my
boy, you can bet your bottom dollar or
that
/ A HIGH AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY.
The Montana extension closely follows
the path marked out by Coy. Stevens
nearly forty years ago as the route of 9
great northern transcontinental railway.
Except in the immediate valley of the Rec
river there is no better agricultural
country in Dakota than that which is pen.
etrated by this road and its branches north
of DEVILS lake and extending considerably
beyond the valley Of the Mouse. This
belt Of country north of the Missouri il
uniformly fertile, though liable to drouth
and is destined, with its never-failing croI
of rich grasses, to be one of the best stock
raising districts in the United States.
IT'S RAPID SETTLEMENT ASSURED.
Taking the entire region which is to be
opened to settlement this year by the
Montana extension, there is every reason
to believe that in five years it will be al
well settled, and will yield as large trib
ute of business to the railroad as any por.
ton Of Dakota. The prares on each side
of the line, as far as Minot and thirty
miles beyond. are dotted with shacks an.
other indications that settlers are Hooking
in. AS it is the only new country, now
opens to settlement under the free home
stead law which has not been largely ap
propriated, its development il likely 10 b.
more rapid than that of any other distre
of Dakota.
NO CHANGE OF ROUTE.
Miner interview with President Harris